A free innovation tool that helps design teams identify sustainable solutions for commercial retrofit projects has been launched.
The Commercial Retrofit Innovation Map, which seeks to drive innovation in the built environment, signposts users to more than 500 solutions for commercial retrofit - helping architects, developers and engineers identify proven solutions that reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainability.
Believed to be a first-of-its-kind for the built environment, the map showcases a wide range of solutions, including for energy generation, operational efficiency, circularity and low-carbon materials. The intention of the map is to make it easier for project teams to identify relevant solutions for their buildings.
The map is already being utilised to identify solutions for the Grade II* listed No. 1 Poultry retrofit project, and is being been launched for use by industry as part of an initiative between UKGBC, Breakthrough Energy and Fore Partnership.
Launched earlier this year, the initiative aims to tackle challenges in retrofitting commercial buildings by embedding innovation within the retrofit strategy.
A key part of the collaboration is using the map to identify solutions for the Grade II* listed No. 1 Poultry. A landmark retrofit project in the City of London, No 1 Poultry will act as a live showcase for sustainable solutions and an industry exemplar for how to embed innovation into the project process from the outset. It aims to inspire other commercial retrofit project teams to apply the solutions map, increase innovation adoption across the industry.
The Commercial Retrofit Innovation Map is being previewed at a free webinar session on September 15 and at an in-person event at No. 1 Poultry the same week. A written case study sharing insights from the project will be shared with the wider industry next year.
Emily-Rose Garnett, Senior Advisor on Solutions and Innovation at UKGBC, said: “Innovation in the built environment is happening all around us, yet it often remains fragmented or hidden in silos. This map brings many of those solutions together in one place, helping project teams explore their options and identify solution providers. By raising awareness, we aim not only to showcase what’s possible but also to accelerate real-world adoption and deliver meaningful sustainability impact.”
Yetunde Abdul, Director of Industry Transformation at UKGBC, added: “This map is about scale. We need sustainable solutions to be the norm, not the exception, in retrofit projects. By bringing together hundreds of innovations and linking them to live projects like No. 1 Poultry, we’re creating a bridge between what’s possible and what’s actually being done.”
